Vacuum appliances capable of picking up both wet and dry material, commonly referred to as wet/dry vacuums or wet/dry vacs, are well-known. Wet/dry vacs are often used in workshops and other environments where both wet and dry debris can accumulate.
Wet/dry vacs conventionally consist of a collection tank or canister, sometimes mounted on wheels or casters, and a powerhead within which a motor and impeller assembly is mounted. The motor and impeller assembly creates a suction within the canister, such that debris and/or liquid is drawn in to the canister through an air inlet to which a flexible hose can be attached. A filter within the canister prevents incoming debris from escaping from the canister while allowing filtered air to escape. Any liquid drawn into the canister is diffused and accumulates on the bottom of the canister.
Wet/dry vacs are commercially available in a variety of sizes and configurations. The capacity, i.e., size, of a wet/dry vacuum collection canister is typically measured in gallons. In most if not all cases, the vacuum collection canister has a round or cylindrical configuration, since such a configuration represents the stablest pressure vessel, capable of withstanding the very large negative pressure (vacuum) forces that can be generated within a wet/dry vac.
Wet/dry vacs are also known in which the powerhead is detachable from the collection canister, enabling the powerhead to be used as a blower. These types of appliances are often referred to as blower/vacs. One example of a prior art blower/vac is U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,769 to Tomasiak et al., entitled "Wet/Dry Utility Vacuum Cleaner with Detachable Blower." The Tomaskiak et al. '769 patent is commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.